By DAVID BOYLE
The Alaska Board of Education will hold a meeting on Thursday, Aug. 31 to discuss a proposed regulation that deals with transgenders competing in girls’ athletics in Alaska schools. The meeting will be held via Zoom at 1 pm.
The State Board had already set aside time earlier this summer to take public written testimony and the board heard oral testimony at its last meeting.
In a March 16 board resolution many of the members went on record in favor of restricting girls’ sports to only girls.
This resolution was titled “Resolution to Preserve Opportunity for Student Athletes While Balancing Competitive Fairness, Inclusion and Safety for All Who Compete.”
Here are the pertinent items addressed by the board:
1. Provide a girls’ division with participation based on a student’s sex at birth
2. Provide a division for students who identify with either sex or gender; and
3. Provide a process for appeal for all students
The proposed policy has set aside a division for transgender students, so it doesn’t discriminate on the basis of one’s self-identified sex.
Dr. Deena Bishop, Education commissioner, and Susan Sonneborn, assistant attorney general, will be present to brief the board. Only 30 minutes have been set aside for the meeting.
This is a listen-only meeting, and no public comment will be taken as the board has already received public comments.
Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/99391482721.
To call in and listen, dial: 1-253-215-8782.
You can find the Board of Education meeting here: https://education.alaska.gov/state_board/august-2023
David Boyle is the education writer for Must Read Alaska.
